Metroid: Mutation
by paintballer
Summary: Samus has been infected by something unknown, and she is turning into something more metroid than human, what will the result be? R&R to find out. Note: I plan to finish this story, but I won't be posting it in segments, I will post it all at once.
1. Prologue

A/N: Hi, thanks for taking the time to read my fic. Before you get into, there are a few things you should know. #1, Since Nintendo isn't big on the spaceships in Metroid, I've had to be "creative" Secondly, this chapter is sorta from Samus's POV, but later things will be straightforward narraration. Thirdly, I need feedback people! If you read this, and wish to read more, don't just come back every now and then, review it, tell me what's good, what's bad, what needs changing. I realize this being the first bit, and fairly short, there isn't much for you to critic, but nevertheless.  
  
Update: I changed things up in here, and added a few things as well. I think its better now. Enjoy.  
  
Metroid: Mutation  
  
Prologue: And so it begins.....  
  
It has been one year since my encounter with........ myself. The SA-X, as Adam named it, was a parasitic creature known as the X mimicing me. It had all my powers, making it my greatest enemy.  
  
However, it also had the ability to reproduce, A sexually. From some infected parts of my power suit, atleast 10 of these things were spawned. One, was destroyed with a secret portion of the B.S.L. station that we were on. Another, I destroyed myself. The rest, I presume were obliterated in the destruction of the station as it collided with SR388, the Metroid homeworld. Or, it used to be. Some time ago, although at times it seems shorter than it is, when I learned of the Metroids, I went to SR388. And destroyed the Metroid Queen. I killed every Metroid I found, spareing only a lonely hatchling, which for some reason I still don't understand, imprinted on me as it's mother, protecting me with it's life.   
  
And it did just that, in my last battle with Mother Brain, it absorbed her energy, and gave it to me, allowing me to finish Mother Brain off for good, or so I hope. But in doing so it died.   
  
"Samus, we are passing through the Mushroom nebula, in the Osiris system." Adam, the on board computer, and my CO has informed me of our position.  
  
Now where was I? Oh yes. The Metroid hatchling. It saved my life once, then yet again. When I first met this X, it infected me, major parts of my suit had to be removed surgically. But there were X deep in my nervous system, unable to be removed, until they used a vaccine made up of Metroid DNA taken from the hatchling, while it was in federation possesion. Making me as I am now, slightly smaller, well from an armor standpoint. But I'm just as powerful, if not more so than before all this transpired.  
  
"I'm getting some strange readings from one of this system's stars......... Should I raise shields?" Adam said.   
  
"Why not?" I said, not really caring one way or the other. "Maybe something exciting will come of it?"  
  
"Perhaps, raising shields."   
  
A few beeps and buzzes and then a sound from somewhere inside the ship, and the shields were raised.  
  
Things are pretty boring for a bounty hunter recently. The federation wasn't exactly thrilled that I destroyed the research station. Nor were they pleased to hear I had eradicated the X. Needless to say, I haven't had any business from them. But I should expect something, from somewhere. I've not gotten a thing, it's as if the whole universe just straightened up and started behaving itself. No space pirate activity, no Ridley, not even petty asteroid disputes!   
  
"Samus, I'm picking up an ion trail, headed straight for that star from earlier, IT'S A MISSILE SAMUS!" Adam shouted at me, quickly getting my attention. Looks like things won't be so boring after all.  
  
"What's it's trajectory? Can we even stop it?" I asked, but it was to late, an explosion appeared on the lower corona, turning the once bright blue star, black as the space around it. It also, however, released a massive shockwave, which struck the two other stars in this system, causing them to supernova as well. Luckily this system wasn't inhabited, because of the three stars in such close proximity to the six planets, each of them were desert like. Not a drop of water on them.  
  
"Samus, we've got to get out of here, prepare to launch into hyperspace!" Adam said as he prepared the ship for faster than light travel.  
  
"But we've got to get clear of this nebula first, the engines will never engage with this much interference." I replied, trying to get a handle of things.  
  
"There's no time! We won't be able to get free for another five minutes, that shockwave will be here in less than three!" Adam responded, ready to overload the engines.  
  
"Adam, I don't think it will work, we'll probably just end up overloading the engines, and shutting down the whole system. I say we boost power to the shields, and try our best to turn us into the wave." I made my suggestion, and waited for a response....... "Come on Adam! We need answers!" I shouted, not getting anything back from him.  
  
"Calculations complete, there is a 38.459281% chance of success if we engage hyperspace, there is a 45.5832029831% chance of success if we boost the shields, everything left over says we die anyway, your choice lady." Adam said, leaving his mark on the sentence.  
  
"Shields it is then!" I said as I got to working out the controls to perform just such a task.  
  
"Thirty seconds, work faster lady!" Adam said, as he did his part to get the shields in order.  
  
"Almost got it, almost...." I said as I was simaltaniously piloting the ship to the right path, while also setting up a extra strength shield grid.  
  
"5..4..3..2" Adam counted down.  
  
"GOT IT!" I screamed.  
  
"1.. BRACE FOR IMPACT!" 


	2. Desolation

A/N: Alright, I'm kind of getting a feeling for where I want this to go, but I'm a slow writer, so bare with me. Also, this chapter and from now on will be third person narraration unless I state otherwise.  
  
Thanks to Desert Lynx and Darkrenl86 for reviewing, and thanks to sjd372 for reviewing, I also wish it to be noted that I took their advice and made the first part a prologue. Thanks for reading, and please do review and tell me what you think needs changing, but if you've got a flame, then save it.  
  
Update: Not alot changed here, a paragraph of description here, a short dialogue there, but still helps it I think.  
  
Metroid: Mutation  
  
Chapter One: Desolation  
  
Once the light dimmed, and the space dust cleared, not much was left of this once beautiful solar system. Osiris one through three were gone, completely destroyed, only a few fragments remained of planets four and five, and planet six was about half the size it had been.  
  
The chaos was caused from the destruction of the system's main star, which caused a massive shockwave that decimated the system. To make matter's worse, that wave caused the other two smaller stars to supernova, spreading more destruction. However few people would care, maybe a few wandering scientists and astronomers, but since the system was lifeless, no one had any reason to care..... except her.  
  
"Samus, wake up, we don't have time for nappin lady." Adam said, trying to wake the unconscious bounty hunter.  
  
"Eunnn, what happe... did we make it?" Samus asked as she stood up, and made her way back to her seat, albeit a little shaken.  
  
"Yes, although I cannot say the same for the ship." he replied  
  
"Ugh.. Damage report." she said sitting down and holding her head. It felt like the blood coursing through her was on fire, and she thought her head would explode at any moment from the intense throbbing.  
  
The smoking hulk that was their ship, glided powerless through the star system which only an hour ago, had been at peace. A few asteroids and fragments ricocheted off the hull, simply adding insult to injury. In a few more minutes, Adam's computerized voice came back, with his analysis complete.  
  
"Shields- offline"  
  
"No surprise" Samus replied  
  
"Weapons- offline"  
  
"Hopefully not a problem"  
  
"Engines- destroyed, replacement required"  
  
"Oh great, and with what money?" Samus remarked, rolling her eyes as she did so.  
  
"Hyperdrive- severly damaged, repairs needed"  
  
"I hope the comm still works"  
  
"Communications array- damaged, but functional"  
  
"Finally, something that isn't broken, scan for the nearest non hostile vessel and hail them" Samus ordered, plugging her arm cannon into the vessel's specially fitted port.  
  
"Scanning."  
  
As the computer searched for aid, Samus continued looking over the damage, it wasn't going to be cheap to fix. And with no jobs coming her way, money wasn't going to be easy to come by.  
  
"No vessels within range. Recommend launching a becon." Adam advised, although in reality, he was already preparing it.  
  
"Do it."   
  
Within a few seconds a becon was launched, on its way in search of help. As Samus tried to get up, she fell back down in agony, something was wrong, very wrong. A horrible pain came over her as she grabbed her side.  
  
"What's the matter Samus?" Adam asked  
  
"I don't know, it feels like something is ripping my insides apart." She said, through clenched teeth, letting out a quick sigh and then whincing again as the increasingly familiar pain came over her again.  
  
"I'll conduct some scans." A small device came down from the ceiling and scanned Samus's body, from head to toe. Seperating DNA from DNA, and technology from biology, he came to a speedy conclusion.  
  
"I think I've found your problem." Adam said displaying a holographic image in front of her. It was an image of her own body, with several points highlighted.  
  
"This is your cellular structure. These are your human DNA strands, these are the Metroid hatchling DNA strands, but these, these are something new, and they seem to be attacking and changing your human DNA." Adam said pointing each one out in the projection  
  
"What? Why?" she asked, there were more questions on the tip of her tongue, but she decided it best to save them.  
  
"Think of it this way, the metroid DNA injected into your system to save you from the X parasites 'bonded' with your DNA, making you one, but the DNA still show up seperate. Think of this new strand as say, an Omega Metroid if you will, it's attacking your human DNA, because it thinks it's an enemy, but it's also adapting it, so as to make it hospitable."  
  
"Ok, but that still doesn't explain why it's happening." Samus said with a very annoyed tone.  
  
"I believe it was this." he said changing the image to show the system they were in, as the shockwave hit the ship. "Ok, this is the first wave, from the main star, the shields managed to stave off most of the effects, but after that the generator was finished. But as the second and third waves hit, the structrual shielding kept it from ripping the ship apart, but the effects of the radioactive waves still came through knocking out systems, and I believe causing your DNA to turn upon itself, although I'm not sure why it would do that."  
  
"So what's going to happen to me? Will I just become a little more metroid-like than I am now? No big, I can handle that." Samus said, trying to seem confident.  
  
"No Samus, it's not just adding a little metroid, it's changing you into some strange new creature, but I assure you, whatever it is, it won't be human."  
  
"Sounds like I've got to go begging the federation for help again." she said, sliding back into her seat, not enjoying the thought of such a prospect.  
  
"If you don't Samus, there's no telling what could happen. For all we know, it could kill you, or at the very least, turn you into a raging lunatic."  
  
"Well keep on reminding me why don't ya?"  
  
"Samus, I'm picking up a signal, it's a ship and it's heading this way....."  
  
"Is it hostile? Is it responding to our distress call?"  
  
"I don't know, my scanners are failing, we're dead in the water, "  
  
"And blind as a bat."  
  
Don't forget to review! 


	3. Friend or Foe?

A/N: Okay readers, I realize that it has been some time since I updated. I don't have any good excuses, I've got em, they just aren't good. But know that I am sacrificing my playing Medieval:Total War, in order to bring you this chapter, so be grateful, and review!  
  
One last bit of rant, if I didn't say so before, I'll say it now, Samus's ship is the same as in Fusion, the purple one. Okay now that that's taken care of on with the chapter.  
  
I would like to thank the following for reviewing my story, KKBB, Master Chief 67, Mega Man X, Swordlovinfool, Desert Lynx for two chapters now(prologue and Chapter1) and if you review, you can get a nice spot in this list also, wouldn't that be great! Ya, I know, not really.   
  
Update: This chapter was lacking to a degree, so I added a bit of dialogue, and tried to put more description in. Hopefully its better now. Also the chapter has a short little ending to it that is different.  
  
Metroid: Mutation  
  
Chapter Two: Friend.... or Foe?  
  
As they sat dead in space, a small sleek vessel glided over them, finally coming to a stop within view. It was shaped like an arrowhead, only at a very steep angle to fit the length of the ship.  
  
The cockpit was obvious from the ships position, and it looked as though there was probably enough room for a cramped sleeping quarter, given the ships size. What was most terrifying about it was its weapons array, although not much bigger than most federation fighters, it was armed to the teeth, it surely could have destroyed any vessel of equal size in a single volley. And a whole squad of them could most likely descimate a capital ship. After scanning their battered vessel several times, a hail was given to them.  
  
"Samus Aran I presume?" a sly male voice said  
  
"Yes, that's me, who are you?" Samus replied, in a somewhat less than hospitable manner.  
  
"My name is none of your concern, but I happened to pick up your distress call from the beacon, and thought I'd lend a hand."  
  
"That's very kind of you, but I would very much like to know your name, and your employer, since I see no markings on your vessel."  
  
"All in due time, but first, you'll need this." he said, then a small robotic drone flew out from under his ship and and came near the docking hole under her ship.  
  
"And why should I take that from you? For all I know, you're the one who detonated that star, you're the one who is trying to kill me, and that robot is a bomb sent to finish me off. So why should I trust you?"  
  
"Because you have no choice, if you don't take it, you'll die, if you do take it, but don't use it, you'll die, but if you will accept my help, and take a chance, then you just might come out of your current predicament alive. Good day to you." with that, the comm channel closed and his ship disappeared from sight.  
  
"Hey wait a minute! rrrr, he's gone. What do you think we should do?" Samus asked, hopeing that her old commanding officer would make a 'command' decision.  
  
"Under normal circumstances, I would recommend we scan it."  
  
"And under abnormal circumstances?" she asked  
  
"Take it, we do not have any other options available."  
  
"I was afraid you were going to say that." Samus said as she punched a few buttons that opened the underside hatch and allowed the robot drone to enter.  
  
Upon inspection, they discovered that the robot carried in its cargo, parts to repair a number of hyperdrive models, including theirs.  
  
"Those will do fine, I'll install them immediatly." Adam said, fetching a drone of his own.  
  
"Wait, wait, how do we know we can trust him? These parts might blow the ship up the minute they're activated, or send us spiraling who knows where into space. Are you not concerned about this?"  
  
"At present we've no other choice, like he said, if we don't use it, you, and eventually I will die. As CO I am in charge here, and I say that we take this course of action."  
  
"Excuse me? We aren't working for the federation anymore, you've got no authority over me. But I agree, we've got to do something or die."  
  
For the span of three days, Samus and the computer-mind of Adam Malkovich worked on getting their hyperdrive repaired. Many times they thought they were ready, but then something else would break, requiring further repairs.   
  
"Are you certain this thing will work?" Samus asked as she leaned back in her chair, feet proped on the console in front of her.  
  
"I believe so, there are always a few variables with lightspeed, but we've done all we can. All that's left to do is start it up in the morning." Adam replied, monitering all systems with great attention.  
  
"Hopefully by then, I'll be mor.... gahhhh!" Falling into the floor, Samus rolled back and forth screaming. Again clutching her sides, she tried in vain to somehow ease her suffering. Reaching for the arm of her chair, she pulled herself back up, and sat down, breathing heavily.  
  
"Its happening again... we should rescan you." Adam stated, drawing out the same robot arm from above. In a few minutes he displayed the results. "I fear that it is accelerating Samus, we had better get out of this system soon, as it most likely still retains whatever radiation, energy wave or solar disturbance which is causing your mutation. I order... 'advising' that we leave as soon as possible."   
  
Through sighs and clenched teeth, Samus uttered, "Agreed."  
  
On the 'dawn' of the fourth day, they were ready to test it. They had to use minimal thrusters to get the ship pointed in the right direction, and then when all was prepared, the sequence was engaged.  
  
"Making jump to hyperspace in 3...2...1..." Adam counted down, the ship then launching to speeds well exceeding conventional engines, on a course for the nearest spacestation. For a time, all went well, but as they came up onto their destination, they soon realized their predicament.  
  
"Okay, ease up, and bring us back into normal speeds." Samus said.  
  
"I.... I can't, the ships engines won't respond, we're going to miss our target." Adam replied, quite angered that he could not control the very ship which he was a part of.  
  
"I told you he was no good! He wanted us to use those parts just so he could send us to our deaths!" Samus shouted  
  
"Ah, but you forget Samus, I've already been there. I'll try and slow us down...." His bit of humor was well placed as it did ease Samus' nerves to a degree. But their situation remained the same.  
  
The ship continued its out of control course for what seemed like eternity. Adam finally managed to get a scan off, however he found that there was an object in their path, and it was big, very big, they were going to hit it for sure.  
  
Still trying to exhaust every possible action, Samus suggested a few ideas; "You're sure we can't stop? Disengage the power source, depolarize the field, something?!"  
  
"All such actions would result in detonating the hyperdrive, taking us with it."  
  
"Well, then, CO, come up with some brillant plan for getting us out of this mess."  
  
"I have none."  
  
"Great, out of the frying pan, into the fire." Samus said, rolling her eyes at his seemingly blatent disregard for hope.   
  
While they shot through the universe, another ship appeared in the system wherein they had just been. It looked strangely like the one seen before, but still differnet.   
  
"Blast, they've gone already.... but how? The energy released from those stars should have obliterated them!" a relatively angered voice said through its helmet. Sitting inside their craft, searching for an explanation, the person didn't notice the automated warning from its computer in time.   
  
"Vessel decloaking to aft." it said  
  
"No...."   
  
Before the pilot of the ship could engage shields or flee, an arrowshaped vessel unleased a merciless attack of missiles, beam weapons and disruptors, tearing the other vessel to peices, leaving debris and residue in the wake of the explosion.   
  
Recloaking, the attacker departed. 


	4. Federation Head Quarters

A/N: Okay, thing being busy like always, I haven't had much time to write. Actually that's not entirely true. I've had time to write, it just hasn't come this way. I spend most of my writing time in a Coop Fan fic over at www.zeldauniverse.net, it's really cool, if you like Zelda, and or just group fan fics, then head over to ZU and check out the forums. It's in the fan fic section(good place for it no?) Anyway, I'm going to try and devote more time to this and my zelda fic Four Swords, well sorta. But keep in mind, I'm not a great writer, or even a good one, I'm trying to make this a good story, but not to rush it and make it just.. stupid and boring. I want it to be great, not just another fic. Not that it will achieve greatness, but atleasts I've got something to shoot for.   
  
I'd like to take this time to thank my many reviewers, this will take awhile. I'd like to thank, Dark-Titan, he shared some great ideas, I just may use them, at the very least they help me out. I'd like to thank nitnit, although you nitpicked my summary, but I'm terrible at those, so oh well.  
  
Shadow Fox777 also was kind enough to review. Garret Jax, who gave me my longest, and most helpful review ever. And Desert Lynx who's been reading since day one, well since the prologue anyway. And finally ChaosGallantmon. If I've missed anyone, I'm sorry. I'm kinda trying to just thank those who reviewed my latest chapter so as to not drag this out to much. If you want your name in this oh so coveted position, all it takes is... A REVIEW! But make it worthwhile! Thanks!  
  
Update: Eh, only a little bit here and there changed. Just a few discriptions here and there, and a few things reworded. But its still a good chapter.  
  
Metroid: Mutation  
  
Chapter Three: Federation Head Quarters  
  
Blazing through space at amazing speeds, and knowing that every minute could be their last, Adam tried to get the hyperdrive under his control, while Samus did her best to stop it. They were stuck there, until the ship ran out of power, or ran out of empty space to fly through. A drop of sweat rolled down Samus's face from inside her suit, she was really starting to wish she had heeded Adam's warning. But it was far too late for that now.  
  
"All attempts to deactivate the new hyperdrive have failed. I don't know how long the ship can handle this Samus, it's exceeding maximum velocity, if it goes much further the ship will rip apart." Adam's monotoned compu-voice spoke out through the ship audio system.  
  
Samus looked over the panel in front of her, she was coming up with nothing, not even a last resort. If they eject the hyperdrive, the result would be catastrophic, if they don't try something soon though, the ship's integrity will fall apart. She beat her helmet, trying to jar something into place.  
  
"I've got it!" Samus shouted, who says violence never solves anything? She thought to herself, she then plugged her arm cannon into the slot, and began hitting keys, after a short while, her smile changed to sorrow. She was trying to hack into the main subsystems, and reroute power away from the hyperdrive, but nothing worked. She was just about to give up hope when the drive suddenly shut off, and their ship glided gracefully to tolerable speeds.  
  
"You did it lady! Good job." Adam said  
  
"I.... I didn't do anything, what I tried didn't work, it just... shut itself off." Samus replied, completely bewieldered at this new turn of events.  
  
As the two checked things over, to figure out what happened, the comm system was activated, and they received a hail. It originated from a small light class scoutship. It was equiped with minimal weaponry, but the fast engines and long range radar were obviously it's most valuable assets.  
  
It was about half the size of Samus's purple colored gunship. Samus laughed at the sight of it, her escape pod was almost bigger than that thing. But nevertheless she was at the disadvantage.  
  
"This is lieutenant Willis of the federation scout group 'Exeter'. State your name and purpose in federation space." the voice said over the comm  
  
"This is Samus Aran, my ship was seriously damaged in an explosion, and needs immediate repairs."   
  
"Samus Aran eh? You've got guts showing your face around federation space."  
  
Samus rolled her eyes and ingaged her thrusters to close in on the scout group. "I need help, and this is the only place I could go. So if you'll kindly escort me to the nearest docking port, I'll"  
  
"Hold your position." Willis said, then switched off the frequency.  
  
"What now lady?" Adam asked  
  
"I'm not sure. We can't fight them, nor could we ever outrun them unless we powered up that hyperdrive again, but I'd rather not do that, considering what happened last time." Samus said, punching up a star chart, to try and figure out where exactly they were.  
  
"I don't believe this, we're only five light years from federation HQ. In our uncontrolable flight, we traveled over one thousand light years!"  
  
"Lady, that's impossible. My sensors still show...... that we're only five light years from federation HQ..... but how? The hyperdrive was only active for a minute and thirty-seven seconds."  
  
"Apparently that was all it needed." Samus said, as she brought the ship to a stop.  
  
The comm light switched on, and lieutenant Willis' voice came back over the system with his orders.  
  
"Samus Aran, I've been instructed to escort you to Federation Head Quarters. Based on our preliminary scans, your engines are non functioning, so we'll have to tow you in."  
  
"Alright then, tow away." Samus said, pushing a few controls, preping the ship for the towing clamps.  
  
"Clamps away.... standby." Willis said, Samus watched as his ship manuevered above hers, she then heard the distinct sound of the graviton clamps that attached to her ship. Within minutes they were moving, at full impulse. Samus didn't like being put on a leash, but in this case it was necessary.  
  
"Any chance you could lose some extra weight? My scout ship wasn't exactly designed for towing gun ships into dock." Willis asked  
  
"I could dump my busted up hyperdrive, but I don't think that the federation wants an anti-matter spill inside their territory." Samus replied  
  
"Acknowledged." came the reply, he then switched over to signal for a tugger, a ship with everything needed to move ships into dock, even cruisers, that is with enough combined effort from multiple tugs.  
  
"So what do you think the federation will do first? Accuse me of destroying an entire star system? Or still complain about their space station?" Samus asked, smiling behind her helmet.  
  
"I could calculate the odds, but let's just say that you'll hear both before you've left." Adam replied  
  
"Probably." Samus said with half a grin and a raised eyebrow, as a flash of light came from the space before them, and a large vessel appeared. It was large enough to fit all these smaller scouts inside with room to spare. It was a little on the blocky side, having only a few parts that weren't right angles or perfectly symmetrical. There were some manipulator arms hanging down from it's under belly, most likely for low grade repairs. It had a yellowish color, with black lines along its sides, signifying its class.  
  
"Samus? This ship will tow you the rest of the way, good luck. You're gonna need it." Willis said, Samus could then hear the clamps remove themselves, and saw the squadron fly off to her starboard side.  
  
"Samus Aran, this is captain Douglas, of the tugger ship 'Good fellow'. Prepare your ship for towing."  
  
"Already is captain. She's all yours."  
  
"Acknowledged." the captain replied, she watched as the larger ship took up place over hers, and then several of the under hanging arms attached themselves to her ship, pulling it up closer to the main vessel. It finally stopped, latching it onto a docking port.   
  
"You're free to come aboard." the captain said  
  
"I'd much rather stay on my ship thanks." Samus said  
  
"I've got orders to perform minor maitenance on your vessels systems, and for that we need you off it." he replied, strongly, but still in a kind manner.  
  
"Fine, have it your way." Samus said as she killed the comm channel. "Upload yourself into the drone." Samus said, as she locked down her ship, securing all files and memory banks from tampering.  
  
"Done." Adam's voice said, as a small robot flew out from the back of the ship. It was only about as big as Samus's torso, but it had two arms for doing whatever work it might. It was equiped with an anti-grav converter, which allowed it to "fly" so to speak. Its body was positioned horizontally, with the arms on the front, and the hovering systems in the center towards the back.  
  
"Alright, let's hope that they don't screw it up to bad." Samus said, as she walked over to the hatch, she and Adam were surrounded with a light field, and then lowered gentley down to the waiting deck. The ship had moveable decks that could position themselves under vessels for work. This one had a small ferry that was waiting to take her to the main vessel.  
  
"Howdy Ma'am!" a suited up person shouted when she stepped inside the ferry 'ship'.  
  
"Hello to you too." Samus said, raising an eyebrow behind her visor.  
  
"What's with the drone?"   
  
"It's my ship's computer."  
  
"You that desperate for friends?"  
  
"It's the personality of an old friend, he's also my computer."  
  
"Oh right, that's what our captain is, best tug captain there ever was."  
  
"Your ship's commander is a compu-personality?" Adam asked  
  
"You bet, and he's always joking about it, cause he can be everywhere on the ship, so he knows when we aren't working. Heh."  
  
"I'm certainly glad you're not so nosey Adam." Samus said, looking at the floating droid  
  
"I've still got some respect for people's privacy lady, since I have none."  
  
"True, very true."  
  
Their ferry finally returned to its hatch, and Samus was led to the bridge, where she was met by a screen, captain Douglas.  
  
"Welcome aboard Samus Aran, we've heard some interesting stories about you." Douglas said as she was offered a seat.  
  
"I don't doubt it. Which twisted version have you heard?" Samus asked, taking a seat a short distance behind the 'captains chair'.  
  
"Well, actually, the federation tells us that you destroyed our research station, but I somehow doubt that, especially when I heard rumors that there were metroids involved."  
  
"Do you want the truth? Or just rumors?"  
  
"I would very much like the truth. I am a man... well, I used to be a man of unmatched honesty and truth. I would like to hear the story from your side." he said, showing about as much emotion and interest as compu-personalities are wont to do.  
  
Samus then began to summarize her adventures, from the first time she set out after the pirates, up until the events that crippled her ship just today. She wisely neglected to inform him of her 'condition'. This took up all their travel time between the pick up point, and Federation HQ. Her ship's engines had been repaired, somehow, even though she thought they were unsalvagable. So she set out at minor impluse with her escort leaving for another mission. As soon as she drew near, she was given clearance to dock, and upon doing so she exited her ship. But she was met with quite the welcome wagon.  
  
"Samus Aran! You are hereby charged with the destruction of the Osiris system, you are under arrest." said a man who was well armored, and holding an automatic beam rifle at her, he was not alone though, atleast ten other men were all pointing their guns at her.  
  
'What else could go wrong today!?' Samus thought, as she raised her arms and surrendered. 


	5. Confinement

A/N: Okay, I am afraid to say that I will be out of town for a week and a half, so I'm trying to do another chapter, but at the same time, not ruin it. I have also been playing Zero Mission, so that takes up some of my time. But as always the main drain on my time is The War of the Triforce at ZU. So bear with me, and I'll try to make this chapter good.  
  
And as always, I like to thank my reviewers. Thankyou, ChaosGallantmon for your review. Thankyou Executor Zurg for your.. err... interesting suggestions, but I've already got my ideas about what Samus will look like when she mutates further. I'd like to thank Garret Jax for another encouraging, and helpful review. Thank you, ShadowFox777, Unseen Dark Templar, Dark-Titan, Desert Lynx, sjd372, paladin2007(formerly Mega Man X). To the best of my knowledge, this is everyone.  
  
Okay, after getting half way into this chapter, I decided I'd do it in first person from Samus's POV. Note there could be some inconsistencies. I hope to make it good though.  
  
Update: Fixed a few flaws in the POV speech. Also added some bits here and there.  
  
Metroid: Mutation  
  
Chapter Four: Confinement  
  
Here I sit in my cell, thinking of what could possibly be going on outside the small room. I had no idea where they'd taken Adam, most likely they are trying to scramble his circuits. Good thing we developed an intricate security system for his neural pathways, it didn't matter what they did to him, they weren't going to find their answers. There was an interesting creature being detained across the block. A curious life-form indeed, it was robotic as far as I could tell, and since they ordered me to get out of my fusion suit, I couldn't scan it to find out. It noticed I was stareing at it, and it asked me something I could not understand, the robots language being rather confounding. I checked my combat uniform over, they had searched me thoroughly, made certain I had no weapons on me anywhere. But fortunately, they didn't check everywhere.  
  
"They should really up their security around here." I thought to myself as I dug into my deeper pockets, and made certain the key card I snatched off of the guard was still there. I'd need it some time I figured. I then heard someone in the next cell over mention my name.  
  
"So.... the great Samus Aran brought down to the cell block with the rest of us thugs, how ironic."  
  
"I find no irony in the fact that the federation is frameing me." I replied  
  
"Of course Samus, of course. 'Everyone' is innocent." the man said in a mocking tone. "I'm just glad I lived to see this day."  
  
"Who are you anyway?" I asked  
  
"You don't remember me? That hurts me Samus." he said, and then paused for a chuckle. "I'm not surprised though. You wouldn't remember a single one of the souls you locked up."  
  
"You never know, I might. Try me." I said, although in reality, I really didn't know how he was at all, being a bounty hunter, you meet your fair share of people. Some good, most bad. Some with a price to offer, and some with a price on their heads.  
  
"Alright then Samus, does the name 'Hawk' ring any bells?" he said to me, almost as if he were enjoying himself.  
  
"Not at the moment, but I've kind of had a bad last few days."  
  
"My sincerest sympathies go out to you Samus, heh." snorting for a moment, he then continued. "You should remember this," he said, then paused briefly, before uttering "Orion Six."  
  
My eyes flew open and I immediately sat up from the bed in my cell, I remember who this jerk is now. If only I'd had my suit on, I would have blasted that wall down and beat the man to death. Hawk was his alias, and a feather and talon on the victim were his calling card. He was a lunatic responsible for the death of more than one hundred victims, of all kinds of species.  
  
"You pig! Why hasn't the federation ripped your heart out, or whatever you've got in there." I asked, anger and hatred beginning to overwhelm me.  
  
"Politics my dear, politics. They can't kill me because it would violate an ancient custom of my people, which just so happen to be in the federation. The custom states that none of our people may be killed in exchange for them having killed others, and so in order to keep my people their ally, the federation let's me rot away in this cell." he said, laughing for a moment and then standing up to walk around his cell.   
  
"I guarantee, that if my people should ever decide to leave the federation, they'll send me down the long walk to the end of this hall, and make sure that I suffer long and painfully. I look forward to it, I'll finally be able to quit having to stare at this disgusting filth across the way." Hawk said, refering to a strange slug like creature which occupied the other side of the block.  
  
"Don't you worry about your precious little custom, the second I get my suit back, I'll tear you apart, you don't deserve the food nor the oxygen they give you. Your hide is mine! And I intend to collect." I shouted at him, ready to break his neck with my bare hands, if only I could have gotten to him. I managed to draw one of the passing guards attention by doing so.  
  
"Quiet down in there! I don't have the patience to put up with your griping!" the guard shouted at me, then began to walk away.  
  
While perhaps I should have been a bit more subtle in my approach, I couldn't take it anymore, and was losing it so I shouted back at him; "Well then you best find a new coridor to meander down, because I'm just getting started!"   
  
"I said be quiet!" he yelled, pushing a button on the panel outside my cell, releasing the force field, and reaching for an energy tonfa. He was ready to smash it across my face, but I had other plans. I fell back to the floor and kicked him in the groin, the look on his face was priceless. He dropped to the floor gasping in pain, and I quickly kicked him again, this time across his face, knocking him into the wall and consequently, unconscious. I then jumped to my feet, and grabbed his beam rifle and key card, two keys are better than one right? I looked out into the hall, fortunately, no guards were present, but I knew there would be cameras everywhere. I was about ready to start sneaking down the hall, knowing I probably wouldn't get far, but then that strange robot from the other cell started going nuts.   
  
He was beeping and whizzing, and making other sounds, that sounded like he was trying to tell me something important, but without my suits translator, I didn't have a clue what he was saying. I told him as such, and then he seemed elated at the fact that I had spoken. Within a minutes time I soon heard him speaking, although very poorly, my own language. With only a handful of words he was already analyzing my speech patterns and grammer, as I communicated further with him, he picked up more and more, soon being able to identify himself as Maverick. At first I thought it was his name, but I later learned it was the model of his chasis, he was actually a flesh creature, inside that machine. His name was, Jax.  
  
After a brief chat, he informed me that he was being held, simply because they assumed him dangerous. He was from a distant galaxy where war had raged for thousands of years, and showed no signs of stopping soon. He also had a device that he was able to alter in order to jam the security cameras.  
  
So, with my new companion, and maybe a little luck, my new mission to discover the truth about what happened in the Osiris system, and why I'm being framed for it, will actually proceed, but not without difficulty.  
  
"YOU THERE, HALT!"  
  
A/N: Whew, changing that stuff was kinda annoying, but I think I got it all in order. Anyway, I thank you for reviewing, and be sure to be helpful in your future reviews.  
  
And yes, I did insert Jax from one of my reviewers, SEE! It pays to review! So if you want to end up with a minor role, be sure and be helpful in those reviews! And remember, there will be no updates for two weeks atleast. So... about my normal rate ;) 


	6. Escape and Discovery

A/N: Okay now, before you cast the first stone, let me explain. I've been busy with alot of things since.... the middle of February. Lots of traveling to see my sister who is getting married next month. Plus lots of other things I'd rather not go into detail on. Anyway, I apologize for lack of updates, but I'm going to try and make them a little more frequent. I've got some good ideas for this chapter, I just hope that they come out like I want. So bear with me please. I'd like to thank(this is gonna be awhile) Black Phantom, whose questions I hope to answer in this chapter. aundru, Angry Matt(why so angry?), Shadow Fox, who I just might use some of his helpful tid bits. OmegaMewTwo was kind enough to review, ShadowBoy, Mimic for your.... "interesting" review(aka skitsofrenic(sp?)). And Dragon Man, paladin2007, and ever faithful Desert Lynx all reviewed. I think(not saying much) that is everyone for the current chapter. I hope to answer some questions raised here and there about this and that, and hopefully raise new ones too! :) Oh yeah, no more first person, way to hard, narration from here on out(maybe).  
  
Oh yeah, ------------------ That means a scene change.  
  
Update: Lynx's character name was replaced with Mimic(it fits better). A few little things here and there changed, but on the whole, it was a pretty good chapter to begin with :)  
  
Metroid: Mutation  
  
Chapter Five: Escape and Discovery  
  
"YOU THERE, HALT!"  
  
Samus paused, turning around to see a single guard with his beam rilfe pointed in her direction. Although it wasn't her first choice, she consented to lower her weapon and surrender. But when the guard had approached her position, he was struck across the face by Jax's weapon. Their layout was such, Samus stood at the end of a T corridor which split going two ways. The guard came from the one tunnel towards the junction, where they had escaped from. Laying on the ground he was conscious, but moving slowly, Jax was ready to finish him,   
  
"No!" Samus shouted, stepping in the way, "They already think us criminals, why give them good reason?" Jax stood for a second, his computer logic, and neural functions clashing, finally he   
  
came out of his comatose status, "You are correct, we shall leave him." He began walking on, but before Samus followed, she stuned the guard with her weapon and followed after Jax.  
  
For a short while the two slid as silently as they could through the depths of the space station, stunning guards, and sabotaging specific security cameras.  
  
"Hey! Psst! You there." were the urgent whispers from an inmate in a cell which they were passing.  
  
"Shhh, keep it down...." Samus said, quickly looking this way and that, "What do you want?" Samus asked, somewhat irritated that the alien nearly blew their cover.  
  
"What else? To get out of here, please, you've got to get me out!" he pleaded, his voice slightly raising higher and higher.  
  
Samus checked her shoulders, making certain no one was alerted, "I won't even continue our conversation if you don't keep quiet." She said, making quite certain that he understood her, "So why exactly should we free you hmm? What crime are you supposedly innocent of?"  
  
"I'm not guilty of anything, except being labeled a freak. I... I'm... I'm a shape shifter." he said hesitantly, then morphing himself into another form as proof. Samus wasn't buying it, quickly checking the panel that was in control of his cell, she brought up his profile and charge. Sure enough his crime was being 'hazardous', nothing more. Against her better judgment, she spoke with him further. "You're charged with being hazardous, do you emit some sort of radiation or disease?"  
  
"No, I'm simply able to alter my form at will, they consider that a hazard.", his tone changed, starting to reflect the acceptance that she wasn't a trusting person.  
  
'Adam will kill me for this' Samus thought to herself, "Very well, I'll take you with us, but only if you agree that we do things my way." sighing, she swiped a key card through the slot and released him.  
  
"Thanks! I promise, your way is my way, whatever you say ma'am! Just lead the way!"  
  
'Great... he's got pure energy running through his veins.', peeking around the next corner she led them to an elevator which was hopefully their ticket out of the detention block. "By the way,   
  
what's your name?" she asked   
  
"Mimic is the name, whatever you say is my game." he said energeticly. Further introductions were made as their elevator carried them to a deck which Jax reported as storage. Once there they hid behind some anit-grav generators, to discuss their plan of action.  
  
"Okay, if your info is good Jax, then Adam should be here." Samus said, pointing to a holographic image projected by the machiene-man. It was a layout of the surrounding decks, up and down, giving them a good view of the mid section of the massive station. "And if they haven't put false data in their computer, my suit will be here." she said, pointing to another point a few decks   
  
below Adam. "And last but not least, the shuttlebay is up here.", yet another spot much higher than the other two.  
  
"I believe we should aquire your suit first, if its as powerful as you say, it will make rescuing Adam much easier." Jax commented  
  
"Easier for me yes, but it would also alert them to not only my presence, but also yours. If we take Adam first, we can get the jump on them." she explained, which was true, rescuing Adam first   
  
was critical, everything else would fall into place after that.  
  
Once they were all agreed on their course of action, Mimic brought up a new question which did make things more difficult. "But if Adam is as important to them as you tell us, then won't he be guarded? Requiring clearance to even get into the room?" Quite the troublesome realization that he just had to make.  
  
"They'd pick me out because of my combat suit, you'd never get past the corridor once they spotted you Jax, which leaves us with..." She and Jax looked towards Mimic at the same time, making him somewhat uncomfortable.   
  
"What? Me? Oh I don't think so, I mean look at me! They'd never buy this, no, nope, nut unh."  
  
"You are a shape shifter are you not?" Jax asked  
  
"Oh yeah! Well... I guess I could do that. But maybe I've got a better idea!" he said, standing up proudly.  
  
-----------------  
  
"This isn't going to work." Samus said grumbling  
  
"Maybe, then again maybe not, I'm not really sure." a muffled voice said, resembling that of Mimic.  
  
"Not sure?! Then why didn't you say so before?"  
  
"I thought I did?... Must have slipped my mind, oh well."  
  
Samus rolled her eyes, which were hidden behind goggles of sorts. Mimic was not only able to change shape as a person, but could take on forms as well. He had used his ability, to cover Samus and make her appear as if she were a guard. With a military style ball cap, darkened goggles and clothes to match, only the most observant would have been able to pick Samus Aran out of that disguise.  
  
She walked on, eventually reaching the door which led to where Adam was supposedly being held.  
  
"I'm here to transfer the drone to the computer lab." she said, trying to appear as convincing as possible.  
  
"This is the computer lab. Who are you anyway? What's your profile number?"  
  
"My name... errmm... number? Well..." she said turning slightly, then smashed the end of her rilfe into the male guard, knocking him out cold. "Never ask a girl for her number when she's holding a gun." she said, then blew a kiss, and opened the door with his key card. Once inside, she decided against leaving him there, and went back out, dragged the body inside the door and into a nearby closet, where she tied him up and gaged him. Continuing on into the lab, she found a robotic drone lying on a table, with several panels open, circuits yanked out, and wires frayed. 'No...' she thought, 'how could they have gotten through our security measures?'  
  
"Samus, ahem, I'm over here." Adam's monotone voice stated, gaining her immediate attention. She pointed her weapon at the two technicians with their instruments hovering over Adam's form.  
  
"I was beginning to wonder... alright, you two, into the closet." Samus said, motioning her head towards the afore mentioned space. Once they were inside she switched the rilfe over to half   
  
power and sealed the door shut.  
  
"I assume you've got an escape plan?" Adam asked  
  
"You know me too well." Samus said with a smile, then made her way back to the elevator.  
  
--------------  
  
"Sir." a nervous young recruit said   
  
"Yes? What is it?" his commanding officer asked  
  
"I'm detecting unauthorized weapons fire in Computer Lab Alpha."   
  
"Hmmm, probably nothing, most likely those techys are just test fireing something without going throught the proper channels. But at this hour, I don't really care." he said returning to his seat.  
  
"But sir, security protocols state that we are to send a guard to investigate."  
  
The officer seemed annoyed at the young man's strict adhereance to regulations, "Fine, if you want it checked out, then get your gear and go do it." he said, then taking a sip of his beverage.  
  
"But sir, I.."  
  
"GO!"  
  
"Yes sir!" he replied, and quickly got up from his seat and equiped himself with all the required gear to be dispatched.  
  
--------------  
  
"Okay, so we get in, get my suit and get out before they realize what's happening." Samus said, as the elevator came to a halt on the appropriate deck. Exiting the lift, she made a right turn,   
  
running straight into a security officer on his way to where she had just come from.  
  
However, when he bumped into her, Mimic wasn't prepared for it, and didn't hold his form quite right, causing a ripple to go over himself, and consequently, Samus's body as well.  
  
"Wha?...." was all that fell out of his mouth, as he looked down with Samus at her waving clothes, and then both of them looked at each other. "What's your profile number? What is that drone doing with you?!" he asked quickly, but didn't have time for another as Samus used her weapon to stun him, and dragged him back to the elevator.  
  
"You'd think men would learn eh Samus?" Mimic teased  
  
"Samus... your clothes are talking...." Adam said, being significantly more than just curious.  
  
"Long story, I'll explain later." She said, ending the conversation, and pressing forward. In due time, they stood before the heavy door which kept her from her suit. She swiped her key card, but it wasn't high enough authorization, and an alarm went off. "Great, just what I needed."  
  
-------------  
  
"Um... sir.., we've got a security alarm in section 42, Science lab Delta-2, someone has tried to open the door without proper clearance."  
  
"My quiet evening is becoming one little annoyance after another." he said, sighing, "Send Jenkins, or whatever his name is to check it out."  
  
"Yes sir." the man replied, and went about radioing the person. After several failed attempts he turned towards the person in charge, "Sir, he's not responding."  
  
"I'm surrounded by incompetence. Fine, send a full security detail, it'll give em something to do."  
  
-------------  
  
Samus had tried various things in an attempt to get the door open, but no such luck. Until Jax rounded the corner and came to plug in a special cord of his to hack the door directly.   
  
"You're not permited here! Drop your weapons!" a man shouted as he and the other officers with him all raised their weapons.  
  
'Not good!' Samus said to herself, falling back a bit into the crevace that the hall had. It was the regular door they were trying to get through, but there were spaces on either side where the blast door retracted to. Enough to give them cover, not enough to make a stand.  
  
"Given the current situation, I would emplore you to work faster, erm... Jax was it?" Adam said with as much urgency as he could.  
  
"I'm working as fast as I can, this is a complicated procedure, if I make one mistake, I could close these blast doors on us, and I'm sure you don't want that to happen." Jax replied, obviously having mastered the language in a short time. His little data link was humming loudly, trying desperately to break the code.  
  
"Any day now Jax!" Samus shouted at him, as she ducked back for cover after fireing several shots down the corridor. She popped out again, and managed to land two hits, stunning two of the guards, who promptly fell to the ground. While her rifle was set to stun, the security guards were shooting powered shots, trying to do them harm.  
  
"I think I got it... I think I got it.... Uh oh." Jax's voice sunk down, after his words though, blast doors closed on the other end of the hall, sealing the guards out.  
  
"Good timing Jax, this thing is almost out of ammo."  
  
"Um... I wouldn't congratulate me yet..." as if on que, another set of blast doors slammed shut, this one closer than the last.  
  
"Jax.... they're getting closer, am I to assume that this set will close too?"  
  
"Probably. But I think I can get us in before that happens." he said, and got back to work, franticly going over algorithims and codes. Another set shut, he must have tripped something, because they were closing faster now. "Almost there...." The next set came to a solid close, the next one up was theirs. They could hear the clamps being released so as to let the doors block off the entrance, and crush them with it. "Got it!" he shouted as the door slid open and they all piled in. Not a second to late as the last set shut behind them.  
  
The scientists in the room were rather disturbed to see them enter, considering the gun fire and the alert. But they weren't ones to argue with a weapon in their face, and readily backed into a corner where Jax had them held up. What they did not know is that his weapons hadn't been loaded, and therefore were harmless, but looks can be intimidating.  
  
"There you are." Samus said, typing in key strokes to release her suit from the chamber which it was being held in. "Alright Mimic, you can get off now."  
  
"Unnn, what? Hmm? How'd we get here?" he asked, in his muffled voice, but somewhat of a gurgle was added to it, he had been sleeping it would seem.  
  
"Get off now Mimic." Samus demanded  
  
"Oh right..." he replied, allowing his form to slide off and take shape.  
  
Samus set the gun aside and neared her suit. After her ordeal with the X parasites, her method of getting into her suit had changed drastically. Instead of it attaching at certain key points, it sort of, molded around her. She stepped into the yellow colored metalic frame. After that, she pulled helmet over her head, and allowed the suit to do the rest. It always would come to life as   
  
it were, laying back down over her body, and reattaching itself. A sight to behold for sure. When it was done, her Orange and Yellow suit was firmly back on her body. Her second skin as it were, was once again a part of her.  
  
"Alright, now lets get to the shuttle bay, and get out of here!" she shouted, stretching her legs by doing one of her trademark leaps. When they had opened the secondary entrance/exit to the   
  
room, they were greeted by a fully armed squad, who soon after opened fire.  
  
"Everybody back, we'll find another way!" she yelled, blasting several of the guards back, and sealing the door. "Get to the corners, step away from the center." once all parties had done so, she jumped up and fired a super missle into the middle of the room. When the smoke cleared, a large hole remained where a computer console had once stood. They all dropped into the hole, and proceeded from there.  
  
----------  
  
"Ensign! What was that!?" the officer shouted, as he spewed out his drink.  
  
The ensign at the readout station quickly turned around and reported, "A large explosion has been detected in Science lab Detla-2 sir!"  
  
"No kidding!" he shouted, "Get men down there, find out what's happened!"  
  
"Security has already been dispatched."  
  
----------  
  
Running down the hallway which was underneathe the lab, they made their way towards the elevators, and with it, their escape. When they were at the door, Samus went to enter a different   
  
elevator.  
  
"Where are you going?" Jax inquired  
  
"To take care of some unsettled business. I'll meet you back at the ship."  
  
"But..."  
  
"Don't try to stop her Mimic, when Samus' mind is made up, there is little that can change it."  
  
The trio watched her disappear into a different lift, as the doors of the one they were in, slid shut.  
  
----------  
  
Samus ran down the corridor that she had been in not so long ago, and came to almost exaclty where she had been held, but went a few more cells down. Typing is a quick key code, she lowered the force shield between her and him.  
  
"Get up." she said, but the man laying before her did not stir from his slumber. "I SAID GET UP!" kicking him he soon awoke and rose to his feet, only to be backhanded into the wall. Before he   
  
could recover she grabbed his neck, clenching her fingers into his delicate tissue. "You should have had this a long time ago." throwing him to the floor, she charged her power beam, and with   
  
one word, "Vengence.", she released the beam into Hawk's battered body, killing him painfully.  
  
"Now the dead may truely rest in peace." She said, and then started back for the lift.  
  
----------  
  
Racing out of the elevator Samus found her comrades engaged with more federation forces, while they tried to enter the ship. The primary entrance was to small for Jax, so they opened the cargo lift and stowed him back there. As she ran towards their freedom, a splintering pain shot through her sides and ended up in her back.  
  
"Not again!..... Not now!.....Arrhhhhh!", collapsing to her knees, Samus held her sides as if to hold something in. However a great pain unlike any she'd felt thus far errupted from her back.   
  
Four tentacle like appendages burst forth from her back, and wrapped themselves around her arms, and her legs, one for each. Curled all the way down each limb, they they flatened out and became another layer upon her body, a third skin seems the best way to describe it. When Samus passed out, federation guards were approaching, but automated guns from the ship put them in their place.  
  
"Let's get out of here!" Mimic shouted from the cockpit, engaging the ships engines and blasting out of the hanger. The federation had been kind enough.. or foolish enough to fully repair her   
  
ship, it was now back in tip top shape, and ready for combat, and exploration.  
  
"Samus?...." Adam asked aloud 'I wonder if she is still in there somewhere." he continued in thought, looking at the now slightly larger bounty hunter who lay in the floor, unconscious.  
  
---------  
  
Deep within the station, in a dark room not many eyes have seen, two men discussed the days events.  
  
"Are they away?" the elderly voice of a man asked.  
  
"Yes sir." a much younger sounding man responded.  
  
"Is the tracking device in place?" he asked again.  
  
"Yes sir, they'll not go anywhere without our knowledge." the man reported confidently.  
  
"Excellent.... but it's not enough, I want every bounty hunter in the quadrant with her face on their list. I don't want her able to set foot on board a garbage transport without them knowing who she is." he demanded, turning around to face the young man.  
  
"It shall be done." he replied  
  
"Is Subject 071 ready?"  
  
"Almost, she...it.. Subject 071 has been somewhat uncooperative, but the project heads assure me that it will be ready on schedule." he said, somewhat nervous about the information he had to offer.  
  
"Remind those working on Project Necro, that if they fail once again, the whole experiment will be started anew, with NEW scientists." he said, putting great emphasis upon the word, 'new'.  
  
"At once sir." the young man said, and then left the room.  
  
-----------  
  
Streaking across the stars, a sleek purple gunship was on course for... anywhere minus its previous docking port. Inside Samus Aran was beginning to wake up from her involuntary nap.  
  
Rolling over, she fell out of the bed she'd been put in, and stayed knelt on one knee.  
  
"What.... what happened?" was all she could bear to ask.  
  
The floating drone noticed her awake, and hearing her inquiry, flew over to assist.  
  
"Easy there Samus, you've had a rough day. That unbearable pain you no doubt felt I believe was the next stage of your mutation." Adam said, while using his small robotic arms to ease her to her feet, they entered the cockpit section, where Jax and Mimic were managing the ship. The shape shifter hadn't a clue what he was doing, and was constantly being corrected by Jax.  
  
"No no! Don't hit that, no... do that, just let me do it!"  
  
Samus smiled behind her mask at the comotion going on, it reminded her of when she had a partner one mission, he was always messing something up. "I trust everything is under control?"  
  
Both of them stopped bickering long enough to look her way, then Jax returned to his work to fix Mimic's mistake. "Samus, you're awake, and alive. That's good, you had us worried for awhile."  
  
"Samus has been through rougher things than Federation detention." Jax and Mimic began looking around for the source of the voice, only for them to discover that Adam had transferred himself back into the ship's computer, and began unlocking all systems, and running diagnostics.  
  
"Indeed she has." were the words of another voice, but this one came through the comm system.   
  
"I'm glad to see you back out and in the open Samus, I knew that the federation wouldn't keep you prisoner for very long."  
  
'Him again...' Samus said to herself, "My mysterious knight in shining armor returns, you seem to know a great deal about me, yet we know very little about you." trying to coerce information out of the unknown ally.  
  
"Your curiosity is understandable, but I fear that there is little I may tell you of. Just know that I am on your side. However, there is something we must discuss."  
  
'On my side.... well, he did give me the hyperdrive.... which sent me to federation HQ.... who   
  
repaired my ship free of charge.... Perhaps he is working for my benefit.' pondering these things she missed what Adam and the anonymous traveler spoke on.  
  
"Yes she got back in her suit, what does that matter?" Adam asked  
  
Silence was heard on the other end, at first one would have thought that the connection was dropped, but he soon replied with disturbing news, "Samus, you allowed your suit to reconnect to you, yes?"  
  
"That's right... why?" Samus asked, not understanding the purpose behind the question.  
  
A sigh was heard over the speakers, "Samus, when your suit was removed, the majority of your metroid DNA was contained within the suit. The portion of it within your body, was... stimulated by the suit DNA strains. As a result, when you reentered your suit, that added metroid activity accelerated your mutation. Have you had any further progression of mutating?" he asked, yet Samus somehow thought that he knew the answer already, he knew so much as it was.  
  
"Yes, I collapsed in the shuttlebay as we were escaping. I don't actually know how I ended up on board." She explained  
  
"Oh, that was me, I shifted into a Jaraelian, a large ape like creature. Made carrying you in, quite easy." Mimic said, seeming quite proud of that fact.  
  
Samus, wasn't sure what to say about that, but awaited a response from the comm.  
  
"It is worse than we feared then,.... alright Samus, if you want any chance of being cured, you're going to have to go to the following coordinates, do not deviate from the flight path I'm sending you." he said, then began a short data transfer, to give them all the info they needed. "Good luck Samus." without leaving chance for response, the comm channel was cut off, and the arrow head shaped vessel, veered off to the starboard side, cloaking in the process.  
  
"I wish he wouldn't do that." she sighed, then took her seat. Plugging her gun arm into its slot, she and Adam preped the ship for their journey.  
  
-----------  
  
One lunar cycle later.....  
  
A pronounced Thud.. Thud.. Thud... was heard, as a man walked down a long hallway. His boots making a distinct sound throughout the area. A few key strokes, and the door before him slid up into the ceiling, providing his entry into the darkened room, where an old man sat awaiting what news he might bring.  
  
"Sir, Subject 071 is ready."  
  
"Excellent, how soon may we see her in action?"  
  
"Now sir, " he said stepping out of the way. The door opened again, revealing a figure with multiple luminous displays all over its body, primarily, a visor which glowed a distinct green.  
  
"What is your designation?" he asked, putting all his finger tips together, waiting for a reply.  
  
"I am Project Necro Subject 071." it replied  
  
"What is your mission?" he asked  
  
"To seek out, locate, and exterminate the bounty hunter known as, Samus Aran." 


	7. Cat and Mouse

A/N: I realize it has been some time since I updated, and I apologize, but to make it up too you, this chapter will hopefully be good and long. Also, I've revamped, or revised if you will, all previous chapters, some only got a little bit of a change, while some got much more added. I'd suggest you read all of them again, so as to make sure you're up to speed on what's happening now.   
  
Now I'll take the time to say thanks, and hopefully answer some questions. I got reviews from Mimic, Dragon Man, Shadow Fox, and Black Phantom, as well as Desert Lynx and ChaosGallantmon. Thankyou all, and now to the questions.   
  
Yes Samus does have her fusion suit arm blades, and I intend to use them, when I find a good place(and remember them too). Also, as you'll find out if you read the previous chapter over again, I changed the shape shifter's name to Mimic(duh) instead of Lynx. But worry not Desert Lynx, you shall still have a part in this. Okay, now then, lets get on with it.  
  
Metroid: Mutation  
  
Chapter Six: Cat and Mouse  
  
Log Entry - Samus Aran: "Today is the third day we've been hiding in this large asteroid's cavernous space. Bounty hunters and Federation Scoutships are everywhere. Apparently the Federation was good enough to put a large price on my head, and with the number of enemies I have across the galaxy, all too many of them are eager to collect. Jax has been working non stop with Adam to devise a way to mask our engine signature, while I try daily to keep my body in one peice. Mimic hasn't been much help, except for comic relief. The other day he tried to help Jax calibrate the landing struts, but instead he ended up disengaging them. Needless to say, Jax won't let him near anything important again. There goes the proximity alarm again, I better get up to the cockpit." Samus closed the book which she had been writing in and walked towards the door. While she could easily just use the computer to keep a log, she liked having her privacy. But that was no longer an option with three life forms in a ship not designed for such.   
  
Coming out of her quarters, she soon took her seat and asked for a report. "How many is it this time Jax?"  
  
The large robot tried to bring up his read out, while also being constrained in the small ship. Pressing a few buttons, and not even turning his head he said "It looks to be about five unidentified vessels, and two light Federation cruisers."  
  
Samus inserted her arm cannon into the system, and began looking over the data. "I knew the Federation dealt with Bounty Hunters, but know you'd think they had a league with most of them." she said, trying to figure out what Hunters were in the area.... perhaps she knew one of them.  
  
----------------------  
  
Two weeks earlier....  
  
"Gather round boys, gather round." a man with a robotic arm said to a group of people assembled. They were in a bar of sorts, inside of a large space station.  
  
Thousands of vessels did business with this station each day, from merchants to diplomats, to pleasure cruisers. But in this instance, most importantly of all was, bounty hunters. Hundreds of them had packed into this single establishment on invitation by the Federation. They had not been told what they were see, nor what they would hear. They were simply told it would be worth their while. Many however saw no sense in taking any chances, and took their weapons with them; which was strictly prohibited by the Federation officials who organized the event.  
  
"What are we here for?" one hunter shouted, "Yeah, what's this all about Gallant?" another cried.  
  
"Keep quiet, and you just might find out!" the man replied, then when most of the disorder had died out, he continued. "You've been called here today, for a good reason. What have we all got in common?" he asked, to which there was some mumbling and whispering, but no reply. "What are we?" he clarified, to which someone finally answered "Bounty Hunters."  
  
Looking over towards where the correct answer had come from he mockingly said, "Very good. Well, now that we've got that taken care of, allow me to address your attention to the holo emmiter. This is the one we've all been waiting for." he said, and then clicked a button, which brought up an image of Samus Aran's helmet, with several price listings along the bottom, each corresponding to a different intergalactic currency. Cheers roared through the place when "she" was displayed, above her head the words "wanted" were proudly displayed. Off to the side though, on a spiral staircase which led to the second level of the bar, stood a particular person who, not seeming joyful or glad at all, was the most elated off everyone gathered.  
  
A reptilian like creature, with a long tongue and sharp claws, he looked at the image of a most hated enemy. "The time hasss come Aran.... that I can finally kill you," he said, and then snickering and hissing at the same time said, "And make a little money on the sssside."   
  
Gallant wasn't finished yet though, as he regained order and attention "And luckily for you! I've even got the coordinates of her last known position!" several people tried to climb up the stage to snatch the disk in his hand, but were kept down by security officers. "But I'm afraid there is only one disk, and I can't part with it for any less than.. oh... five thousand credits." he said, smiling at the disgusted and angered looks before him. He knew that if those guards hadn't been there, he would already be a dead man.  
  
"Make it four thousssand, and you've got a deal." a hissing voice shouted, while the body to which it belonged also pointed a plasma pistol at Gallant.  
  
Knowing the bounty hunter all too well Gallant readily accepted, figuring that his next offer would be pulling the trigger. "The disk is yours Dragonis. Once I receive your four thousand credits of course." he said. "Of courssse." the reptilian replied. Walking to the stage and taking the disk, he punched his finger onto a pad, which transfered the money. He then pulled out some sort of device and slipped the disk inside. When he had finished he looked over the crowd which was beginning to disperse. "A gift!" he said, throwing it into their midst, causing plenty of chaos. His own copy of the information was securly locked into the device which he held in his claws. Walking out of the bar through another exit, he began the journey back to his ship, but unbeknownst to him, he had a tail.... well, another one that is.  
  
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Log Entry - Adam Malkovich: "Day 5. I still feel odd about keeping a log, since I'm the ship's computer. I can easily store any information anywhere I want it, but something about this makes me feel I suppose... as if I'm still more of a man than a machiene. Foolish as it may be, nevertheless I will continue to do it for the remainder of our ordeal. Like vultures they hover around our little asteroid, just waiting for the right moment to strike. Working with Jax, I've devised a plan to get us out of here, hopefully in one peice. I am not 100% sure that it will work but at this point we're running out of options. We can only hide for so long before they find us. I'm just glad that Samus hasn't mutated further, otherwise we'd have had to leave much sooner." Alert! Alert! Unidentified vessels approaching, active warheads detected.   
  
"Looks like they've come back to try and shake us out. End log." Ceasing from one activity and turning to another, Adam quickly began passive scans to determine what the yield of their warheads were.  
  
Samus was already on deck, in her seat and working frantically yet still keeping her cool as she configured another wave of false signals to lead the sporadic bombing astray. "I'm almost ready... Jax have you got that algorethim ready yet?" she asked, not turning in his direction.  
  
Continuously fighting his cramped space, Jax was mashing all sorts of buttons and working via his link up to the computer. Adam had at first protested to this but in comprimise, he quaratined off a portion of the system to which Jax would not have access. "Almost Samus, give me a minute."  
  
Samus turned her head slightly and flatly said, "You've got half that." then returning to her work she made certain that all variables were accounted for. Looking over her left shoulder she could see Mimic standing in the corner looking around confoundedly. 'Atleast he's not touching anything important.' she thought to herself and turned back to Jax who had just finished his work.  
  
"Ready when you are Samus!" Jax shouted, poised to enter in more key combinations. "Activate in 3... 2... 1." Simultaneously on Samus' voice uttering the word of one, both she and Jax entered their data which caused the radar dish to send out pulses which, when they encountered certain elements in the asteroid, would cause such a disturbence that no tracking system would be able to pick out their vessel. However that did not mean that they were completely safe, it just lessened their chances of being a direct hit.  
  
-----------------------  
  
On board one of the larger vessels flying a search pattern through the asteroid belt wherein the Hunter was hiding, an arguement was taking place which would end in someone's death.  
  
"Dragonis! You slithery wretch! You promised me a bigger cut in the reward!" a man shouted, obviously greatly angered at the bounty hunter.   
  
"Ssso sssorry Gallant. But I've changed my mind. You only get 30%, and if that isn't acceptable to you, then I'm sssure that we can LOWER it." he said, pulling out his pistol and aiming it at the man who stood before him.   
  
"Your treachery won't go unpunished!" Gallant shouted as he began pulling his own weapon, but also grabbed hold of a nearby reptilian officer and used him as a shield. Dragonis pulled his trigger before he saw this and shot one of his own. Standing silent for a brief moment, the smoke pouring out his weapon's barrel, Dragonis then burst into laughter. Gallant did the same. After a hearty laugh with one another, Gallant spoke up first. "Alright then, 30%.... but if you dare take a percent of a percent off of that, I'll have your head!"  
  
"Agreed." the scaley bounty hunter replied and then continued with their work of seeking out the Hunter.  
  
-----------------------  
  
Log Entry - Jax: "I'm really beginning to hate this small ship, but in the current situation I've no choice. We're almost ready to get out of this rock. Only a few things are left to be done before we can make our escape. Our course is set, and the planet to which that mysterious fellow directed us is the destination. It's in a star system not far from here, once we're out we should be able to reach it. I was searching the star charts the other day and came across a planet very similar to my home world. Oh Emperyan how I long for thee! .... Samus needs me, guess that's it's for now. Jax out."  
  
Log Entry - Adam Malkovich: "Day 9. Today is the day, our preparations are complete now we must only wait for the right moment to set out. Mimic is getting restless, the poor fellow has nothing to do, as he is seemingly inept when put in charge of any device that is delicate in nature. But shant have anything more to worry about. Based on current search patterns,  
  
We shall end this game of Cat and Mouse on the morrow. End Log."  
  
Log Entry - Samus Aran: "An old 'friend' of mine is currently hovering right outside our escape passage. I think he's seen the same gap in their searching that we did and he probably knows I'm in here. Jax and Adam have got a back up plan, but it is much riskier, and I don't like it. They want to fire missiles out of all possible holes in the asteroid and then blast our way out of another and then hope that none of the surrounding ships can get a lock on us before we jump to hyperspace. I don't have to list all the possible things that can and probably will go wrong with this plan, there is simply too many of them to bother with." Alert! Alert! Escape trajectory open! "This is it, we've no other choice. If it is a trap as my gut tells me, oh well. We've got to get out of here now...." Samus jumped up and left the pen she'd been writing with laying on the open book. She found it quite difficult to write in her suit, but the last mutation she underwent fused her suit onto her, and it could not be removed presently.  
  
Running out on deck, she jumped into her seat and inserted her arm cannon as usual. "Are we ready?" she asked punching a few buttons.  
  
"As ready as we'll ever be." Jax said, bumping his head on the ceiling again. Mimic crept closer, and asked, "We'll get out now, right?"  
  
"Yes Mimic. We're getting out of here, now please, take a seat." Samus said, and then returned to her work. Adam's voice pipped asking, "Disengage landing struts?".   
  
Samus looked out of the cockpit into the asteroid before her, and slightly beyond that was their freedom... but was it really? She couldn't help but think that they were just taking the biggest bait that had been thrown at them thus far. "Fire the missiles out the alternate way." Samus ordered, having molded both escape plans into one last chance effort to make a break for it. Jax slid a few switchs forward, and then punched a few more buttons, "Firing missiles." he said as the ship lunged forward. Ten of their ship to ship warheads were on their way out one side of the asteroid while the purple gunship screamed out of another.   
  
"There! There ssshe isss!" Dragonis shouted, "Helm! Lay in an interccept courssse! All weaponsss at the ready." he cried, eager for the hunt to truly begin. His ship was larger than that of Samus', and also larger than all the other bounty hunters around. Only the two federation crusiers were bigger, and even then they didn't hold much over his vessel. Armed with superior fire power, speed and shielding; he was sure that the reward on Samus would be collected by him.  
  
Another explosion rocked Samus' ship, this one a missile impact directly into their shields. Mimic pulled himself out of the floor for the fifth time, saying something about stupid bounty hunters. "Shields down to 53% Samus, we better not take many more hits like that." Jax said, as he diverted power from unnecessary systems to the shield generator.  
  
"I'm not taking this anymore, its time we go on the offensive!" Samus shouted, bringing her vessel about. Adam strictly protested, "Samus! This is no time for flexing our muscles, we've got to get out of here."   
  
"And that's just what I intend to do." Samus said, as her vessel flew right across Dragonis' bow, forcing a few smaller hunter ships chasing her to crash into it. "But there is no reason we can't kick a few of the ankle biters off." steering the ship away from the course it had been, she then directed it to a course between the federation ships. Weapons fire exploded from the two of them, but fortunately, neither vessel had good targeting systems, and consequently damaged one another, and destroyed a few more bounty hunter vessels in their barrage.  
  
"Ha ha! Take that!" Mimic shouted from his seat, watching the mayhem being wrought behind them. Samus jerked the ship one more time, "Alright, that should do, now then Adam, if you would kindly initiate the hyperspace sequence."   
  
"Gladly." Adam replied, and quickly set the ship in motion to do so. As they were about to launch though, Dragonis' ship came from behind, following after them. "3, 2, 1. Hyperspace achieved."   
  
"Arrrggg, did you get tracce?" he shouted, waiting for his officer's reply. "Yess, ssir, they are heading for the... Ganak sssysstem."   
  
Dragonis stood up at this news, he was somewhat disturbed but too thrilled by his quest for vengence that he immediatly ordered persuit to the 'Forbidden Star'.  
  
-----------------------  
  
"This is it. We're here." Adam reported after their ship had dropped out of hyperspace. "Samus.... I don't believe this. He's led up to the Ganak system...." Adam said, showing concern in his voice.  
  
"What's wrong with the Ganak system?" Jax asked, stepped back from his panel to look out through the cockpit and into space. What he could see was five planets, two large, two small, and one about average. Everywhere he looked between he and the star, was debris. Star ships, asteroids, planetoids, everything imaginable was there.   
  
Samus stood up, turned to face Jax and Mimic and said, "Welcome to the intergalactic graveyard." Before she could retake her seat, alarms went off, and their vessel was jolted by a missile impacting their side. Jumping up from the floor and retaking her station, Samus asked for a report.  
  
"Its... Its Dragonis, he's followed us here." Adam said, engaging the engines and beginning to flee.   
  
Samus paused for a breif moment, trying to figure out how to lose him, and to find the planet they wanted. "Which one of these planets is inhabited?" Samus asked, while flying through a gapeing hole in the side of a cruiser, and out another one. Weapons fire from Dragonis' ship tore the ancient hulk apart, leaving smaller peices of debris behind.   
  
Another explosion, this time striking a nearby cargo freighter. It wasn't that bad, but they were getting closer. "There's no time to scan them all, we've got to land lady!" Adam shouted, doing his best to balance all the systems.  
  
In another situation, Samus would have objected but with no alternative, she was forced to take the ship down, on Ganak 3 - The second largest planet in the system. "Landing sequence initiated! Everyone hold on to something!" Samus shouted, trying to keep the ship on course. Re-entry into a planet's atmosphere was not easy; it was altogether almost impossible with someone shooting at you on the way down.  
  
"Shields almost gone Samus!" Jax shouted, desperatly trying to keep them online.  
  
'Just what I needed, a steep angle of re-entry, and no shields.... thanks Dragonis. Come on Samus... hold it togther!'  
  
----------  
  
"Sssir, we've almosst destroyed their ssshieldss, do you wish for usss to ccontinue firing? They.."   
  
"FIRE!" Dragonis ordered, ready to have his prize. What he did not hear his officer saying was, that they are most likely going to crash anyway, and that they should send down a search party afterwards to pick up whatever survives. But such an action was at the back of Dragonis' mind in the middle of the chase, one might call it his only weakness.   
  
"Firing." his weapons officer replied. But gave it a less than full power burst, hopeing to only damage them a little bit more, but still let the crash do the damage.  
  
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"We've been hit again Samus! Shields are offline! I don't know how much more this thing can take!" Jax shouted, but Samus wasn't paying attention, she was solely focused on getting her vessel and her.... 'crew' as it were, down in one peice.  
  
A/N: Hehehhe, there always has to be somewhat of a cliff hanger does there not? It would be the theme that my fic has followed to a degree to this point. And I intend to keep it up :)  
  
I'm hopeing that I can finish this fic before I go to college. My other two fics are done, so I'll have more time to put into this one. But I also have a job now, so I've got even less time than before. But I do intend to finish this, I so wish to. And lucky you, I've even got my idea for what the next chapter will be, so it should be sooner than you might expect.   
  
Don't forget to review! 


	8. Ganak Three

A/N: Well, you should have seen this coming. My chapters always take a long time to come about.  
Time to thank my reviewers, even though its becoming the usual crowd. I think that's a good thing. Mimic, Dragon Man, Desert Lynx and Black Phantom all reviewed. No worries Phantom, I was only using the log entry for that chapter as I felt it helped convey the feeling I wanted. If I use it again, it will be considerably less than chapter 6. Also the things which you listed will never find their way into my story, as I stand against those things. Garret Jax also reviewed, and I'm trying to keep description at a good level Garret, but sometimes you feel like you are repeating yourself. I did add description to the earlier chapters, so they should be better now. Let's hope all goes as planned with this.  
Also, I'd like to note that I've gotten a total of 47 reviews for this fiction. Obviously this only happens because of you people :) Thanks.  
  
Metroid: Mutation  
  
Chapter Seven: Ganak Three  
  
Samus' mission is once again being detoured as she is forced to make an emergency landing on the world of Ganak Three. The planet's surface is mostly a rain-forest like atmosphere, with large areas being covered with trees and meadows. Large oceans kept the climate under control. In effect it was a sort of paradise. But high above that perfect world was a crisis.  
Shields having failed, the stress on the sleek gunship was beginning to push it to its limit. Circling like a vulture, Dragonis' ship maintained a steady orbit above them. Not knowing what would happen in the crash, he took the liberty of sending down a team to drag the bounty hunter out of the wreckage, salvage any useful technology and destroy everything else.  
  
"We've been hit again Samus! Shields are offline! I don't know how much more this thing can take!" Jax' last words finally registered in Samus' mind as she fought with the controls. Getting past the hard part of the journey downward, she tried to keep the vessel gliding as long as possible so as to decrease their speed. But their destination was still sure, crash. The purple gunship began skimming the tops of mighty trees, a trail of smoke billowing out behind it. As it lowered down it began hitting thicker portions of trees and after several violent rockings, the two wings were stripped off by slamming into two large trees simultaneously. Spiralling out of control the main hull cleared the forest and skidded across a flower filled meadow. When its momentum was finally nullified, the once proud vessel now lay in its final resting place. In its wake was smoke, debris, and a long swath of dirt carved out of the peaceful meadow.  
  
After about the span of two hours, the emergency hatch on the top finally swung open. Exiting the battered craft was Mimic. Looking around, he could see the destruction caused by their 'landing'. Pulling himself out he stood atop, and serveyed more so than before. The remains of the vessel began shaking and on the under side, a large hatch opened revealing the cargo bay. Exiting from it was Jax, weapons charged and ready. He soon lowered his arms, to behold the world around him.  
Not far behind Jax was Adam, uploaded into his mobile drone body. His scanners were buzzing in harmony as they searched for not only signs of indigeous life, but more importantly any trace of their pursuers.  
  
Finally Samus exited from the top hatch, her blue and yellow suit glowing in the sunlight on the perfect planet of Ganak Three. After her last stage of mutation, the tentacles that had wrapped around her became a blueish color, over the orange that had resided there. The metalic portions of her suit were still yellow, and her helmet still red. She looked somewhat more like she did after the removal of her suit parts, when she had been infected by the X.  
  
"Report." she said and then stumbled over a crate as she tried to get a reading on the area. Her visor was cracked, but the atmosphere of the planet fortunately for her, supported oxygen.  
  
"No other lifesigns detected other than our own, and indiginious lifeforms. Threat assessment.... zero." Adam said as the small rotating dish on the upper right portion of his body kept scanning.  
  
As she looked at what once had been, and viewed the crash site, Samus couldn't help but feel somewhat regretful for getting her companions into this. Her anger began to mount as she turned her face skyward. "Alright Dragonis.... you want me? Come and get me." she whispered to herself as she clenched her fist.  
  
"Samus I believe it would be best to prepare for anything. I have no doubt in my mind that Dragonis will persue us even to the surface. We should be ready. Jax and I will create a perimiter with scanner bouys. If anything so much as an insect crosses that line, I will be notified of it. You and Mimic should start salvaging whatever is left of the ship. Any questions?" Adam asked, but received silence from all parties. "Very well, move out." Adam said, he and Jax leaving the group and heading towards the forest all around them.  
  
"Samus...." Mimic started but then stopped with his mouth agape. "Your visor... it just... it, it just sealed the crack in it."  
  
Samus looked around a bit, seeing this to be true. "So it has. Must be part of the mutation. No doubt the metroid DNA wishes to preserve itself and me as a host." she paused for a moment, a little uneasy about the thought and then continued. "How it fixed the glass polymer I'm not sure, but metroids are curious little things... best left alone." Samus sighed and then returned within the ship to rumage through what the crash didn't destroy.  
  
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"Done. Time to move another fifty meters." Adam said, unplugging his arm from the sensor attached to a tree trunk of massive size. His sensors on a continuous cycle, and his weapons at the ready, Jax maintained a full alert status. He quickly eliminated the life of a creature which took to the air only a few yards in front of him. Nothing, not even the most diminutive insect was safe from his crosshairs. The mechanical pair continued this routine for the rest of the day, constantly watching for enemies.  
  
When the last sensor was in place, it made its automated feminine response, "Thankyou for using Tek-tronics. Beginning scans." Jax chuckled at this, even though he'd heard it more times than he could count in the past several hours. He was more glad to be rid of the perky voice than actually hearing it one last time. With their objective complete, they began marching back to the base camp.  
  
On their arrival, it was quite apparent that Samus and Mimic had been extremely busy with their own projects. The hideaway turret gun from underneathe the cockpit had been removed and rewired atop two crates, giving it excellent an field of vision. Moreover, they had dug up a crate full of experimental grenades that Samus was supposed to deliver, but the mission was canceled and the merchandise never requested. "They didn't ask, I didn't tell." She had said in her defence to Adam, when the two had discussed the matter. But that mission, and all others were irrelevent now, as Adam's sensor grid had detected faint traces of movement all around them. Whatever it was, it knew they were there.  
  
One hour, maybe two passed as all weapons stood ready. The turret maintained its constant search for a target, as did Jax's dual plasma pistols. Samus' visor remained on scan mode, waiting for something, anything to be out of place and set her alarms off.  
  
"Something tells me when the Chozo designed this suit... a situation like this wasn't considered." Samus said to herself, looking at her arm cannon. The metroid tentacle had grafted itself onto the steel weapon only a short span, still leaving the missle functions intact. Her ponderings were shattered as the turret snapped to attention and sent a deadly stream of energy towards the sound of a snapped twig. Jax quickly investigated the scene, only to find body suddenly come into view. Chords of energy lashed about the body, killing whatever tissue might have still been alive from the blast. "It looks like a.... well, I don't know what it is." Jax admitted  
  
Scanning over the remains with her visor from afar, Samus could tell exactly what it was. A Tirrisian. "He's one of Dragonis' troops! Jax get back here!" she cried, but it was too late for her caution to be heeded. All around them, dozens of Tirrisians began appearing out of thin air. All of them armed with a stealth suit and beam rifle, the calm meadow errupted with weapons fire. North then northwest, then southeast, the turret was spinning itself in all directions, firing upon the closest enemies it detected with lethal results. Mimic was hiding fairly close to the ship, clutching a few grenades in case he saw any enemies. He wasn't a soldier by any species standards.  
  
Rising to her feet after demorphing, Samus slammed her arm cannon into the back of a scaley Tirrisian, and fired a round of plasma shots at a grouping nearby. Because of the nature of the plasma beam, a line of troops behind those quickly fell as well. A few shots were scored against her, but the damaged was minimal. The counter attack however, was anything but minimal. Opening her salvo, Samus unleashed two missiles at a small grouping of hostiles. Streaking under one's legs, and striking his comrades tail, the three creatures were thrown apart, and finished off by the turret which, was about to overheat.  
  
"Mimic! Hit the override! Don't let it burn itself out!" Samus shouted, but was knocked off her feet by a well placed grenade. Watching Samus fall, and then subsequently, not rising, Mimic was shaken from his shell he'd nestled into with the ship. His fear turned to anger, and a coward became a hero. Mimicing the form of a renowned Mercenary, his now seven foot scar covered frame lifted and threw two of the grenades at his enemies. Letting loose a mighty shout, he charged forward and grabbed hold of a single Tirrisian. Snapping his neck with a mere grapple, and then beating his remaining comrades with his lifeless body, Mimic tore a hole through what was left of their ranks. His warrior spirit subsiding, Mimic retook his usual form and raced to Samus' side. As he stood before her, she finally awoke and rose to her feet. Surveying the battlefield, she quickly estimated that the total strike force was most likely only about fifty lizards. Making on the fly guesses, Samus figured that atleast twenty or more were dead. That was until she saw the carnage that Jax was causing. In his own isolated part of the battle, he'd made atleast twenty kills himself. The remaining lizards began retreating, and cloaking as they did. The battle was won, for now.  
  
Gathered together around the ship, all of them sighed in relief that the worst was over. But indeed the worst was yet to come. A small voice began buzzing in Adam's ear. "Thorite weapons detected." Jax wasted no time and raced for a strategic vantage point. Adam and Mimic went to address the turret's overzealous firing habits, while Samus stood still, not moving an inch. "Thorite.... those grenades I kept contained Thorite....." still pondering all this, Samus' eyes widened in shock as she remembered the effects Thorite could have. It was banned by the Federation because of its unpredictability. Sometimes it would be a dud, others it would cause no more damage than an ordinary grenade, but on occasions, it would destroy an entire research facility with its explosion.  
  
Making way to establish a point of attack, Samus felt a pain that was almost becoming kin. But this time the pain was focused in her hands and her head. Falling to her knees, Samus' fingers on her left hand all ripped open on the tips with claws taking their place. Her arm cannon was overcome with the already existing tentacle, and four claws took place on her arm cannon. Finally the two spiked pieces of her helmet, near the oxygen tubes, burst outward, as the metal was torn away by two massive pincers. Samus stood, with her hand grasping at her head, and her arm cannon dangling straight down. She screamed in pain, but her cry sounded more like the shriek of a Metroid. But all these things were moot in light of the Tirrisian that stood only a few meters away, with a rocket launcher on his back. He smiled his toothy grin and pulled the trigger. Soon after, he was shot dead by the turret. The rocket sped towards Samus, as she stood helpless before it. Her pain was greater than she could bear, and her senses were beyond recollecting. The warhead of Thorite began it's volitle arming process and was soon ready to usher its destructive life.  
  
Adam watched with helplessness as he saw his longtime friend in such pain, and with her life on the line. Jax's back was turned to the scene, as he chased a Tirrisian off into the forest. Mimic could not help but wish he were there, to take the blow, but when he was this far, it seemed a futile dream.  
  
Samus' visor began reflecting the bright flash streaking towards her. In her final thought of contemplation, Samus uttered a whisper to herself, "See you next mission..." when she had breathed her last, and sighed for life, the missle met its mark.  
  
End of Part I  
  
A/N: I'm evil aren't I? Muhahahaha. You will all have to wait until next June(when I get out of my year at college) to see the beginning of Part II (assuming I have time to make it come) I had planned on getting a little farther before ending Part I, but desperate times do call for desperate measures. .... I should use that in my fic sometime! :) Til next time. 


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